The major function of absorbent articles such as disposable diapers and adult incontinent briefs is to absorb and contain body exudates. Such articles are thus intended to prevent body exudates from soiling, wetting, or otherwise contaminating clothing or other articles, such as bedding, that come in contact with the wearer. A common mode of failure for such products occurs when body exudates leak out of the gaps between the article and the wearer's waist to adjacent clothing because they are not immediately absorbed within the article.
Contemporary disposable diapers have a topsheet, a backsheet, an absorbent core, elasticized leg flaps, and a waist feature such as a waistshield or an elasticized waistband to improve both wearing comfort and the ability to contain body exudates. These waist features prove effective generally to prevent wicking and overflow from the diaper to clothing contacting the edges of the diaper adjacent the waist of the wearer at low loadings of liquids. Despite the effectiveness of such structures, however, body exudates can leak through the waist portion of the diaper and soil the wearer's clothing at relatively high loadings of liquids.
Leakage of liquids from the waist portion of the diaper is enhanced by the tendency of the waist portion of the diaper to rollover and sag during use. The waist portion will thus not maintain contact with the body of the wearer thereby allowing large gaps to be formed between the wearer and the diaper that allow clothing or other articles to contact the interior of the diaper such that liquids can more easily wick out of the diaper.
Further, waist features for diapers are typically formed from liquid impervious materials to contain liquids within the absorbent core of the structure and to protect the wearer's garments from soiling. These materials are perceived as being hot and uncomfortable when placed against the skin of the wearer. Further, the impermeability of the materials typically relates not only to liquids but also to gases such as air and water vapor. The inability of vapors or air to pass through the impervious materials impedes the self-drying of the diaper which could occur by the evaporation of liquids contained within the diaper and leads to the hot and sticky feelings of the wearer.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an absorbent article which has an improved waist feature.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an absorbent article having a waist feature which reduces the potential of liquids to wick to the edge of the article in the waist portion.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an absorbent article with a waist feature which reduces the potential for rollover of the waist portion.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an absorbent article having a waist feature which reduces gapping in the waist portions of the absorbent article.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide an absorbent article having a soft, skin friendly, breathable waist feature.
These and other objects of the present invention will be more readily apparent when considered in reference to the following description and when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.